The Losers Club

As the Losers Club grows in numbers, it begins to require additional tables. These tables represent the increased responsibility that Alec feels toward the Losers Club, as well as the increased pressure of putting together an open house presentation. Above all, they symbolize the successful social bonds being forged through reading and sharing.

When Alec first establishes the Losers Club, there is only one designated table for the club, as Alec and Nina are the only members. As more members join the club, the pressure and responsibility mounts for Alec. In Chapter 29, Alec realizes that having a single table isn’t enough to meet the club’s needs, as some kids want to talk, and some kids want silence. He brings in a second table so the group can divide themselves accordingly. In Chapter 33, Alec realizes he needs a third table for the Losers Club. Although Alec “still had mixed feelings about having so many kids in the club” (201), he understands that he owes it to the club members to maintain the club for them. Part of this responsibility is the open house presentation: Although Alec procrastinates putting together the presentation, he ultimately realizes that, with three tables’ worth of kids now, he owes them a good presentation.

The growing number of tables symbolizes Alec’s decreased social isolation and character development over the course of the novel. Embracing new members and his own responsibilities reveals Alec’s growing self-confidence and his developing ability to forge new social bonds with others. While Alec initially regards reading as a solitary activity, by the novel’s end it has become a means of connecting with his peers.